Skylanders: Darkest Hour: Swap Force
by Undead Prowess
Summary: A while ago, we had to deal with the toughest villain ever to have crossed paths with us. We thought it was over... and while I knew the Dragon Realms still needed me desperately, I wasn't prepared for the secrets that crimson fire-breathing dragon had hidden under his scales. Sequel to Darkest Hour: Rise of the Dragon King. Rating may rise in the future.
1. Chapter 1

_**SKYLANDERS: DARKEST HOUR: SWAP FORCE**_

_**Welcome Back, Everybody!**_

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><p>"Wake up, wake up, wake up, Mum! Come on, it's sun-up; get up!"<p>

Beaux excitedly bounced around his mother, waving his tail back and forth excitedly. His four paws made a clicking noise every time they touched the floor. He had strangely long claws compared to other Fire puppies, but that didn't bother him. After all, he had more differentiating characteristics than that. He also was covered in pale, violet-to-lavender scales, with glimmering, emerald crystals dappling him from his snout, his shoulders, and in a studded line down his back. His tail was long and cylindrical, ending in a red crystal shaped like a cone. His claws were also made of emerald crystal, and arced far more sharply than any Fire dog's claws ever would. He also had wings-_wings!_ The spines were made of his lavender scales, while the membrane was not a membrane at all. It was solid, emerald crystal, making it impossible for him to fold or maneuver his wings through any small space.

He could walk with his wings jutting from his sides or held up or straight down, but he couldn't fold them. Strangely enough, he couldn't fly, either. His mother, Smokehowl, claimed he was a special type of creature. She never said what, but she always referred to him as if he were her puppy. So he always assumed he was a puppy-a very special and gifted puppy. He bounced around in the stony den, making the rocks at the entrance shake against the walls and the other dogs growl and their tails to flame up irritably.

Smokehowl heaved a deep breath as she woke up. She had been curled into a tight, neat ball against the floor (which was covered in wet moss). The wet moss was so they didn't light anything on fire unintentionally with their tails, and also to regulate the temperature in the cavern. Even Fire dogs could overheat, and with over fifteen sleeping in the same room, it got pretty hot! Smokehowl studied her son for a moment before smiling to herself and getting to her feet. "The sun's up, but it appears our pack is not," she jokingly barked.

Sparktail, a younger fighter in the pack, was sleeping several spaces away. He turned to look at them both with a glare. "Will you two take it outside? You've woken everyone up already!"

Smokehowl glared back at him. "Why don't you go to sleep a little earlier? Maybe you won't be so exhausted all the time." With that, she herded Beaux outside ahead of her. The 'puppy' bounced around excitedly, his claws catching clumps of grass under them and stirring up dust in the air. Smokehowl could only smile adoringly after her puppy. Beaux stopped to look at her. Sometimes he wondered why she would smile, but at the same time, she would get a depressed glint in her eyes. Her flames would go smaller and she would lower her tail, but never stopped smiling… she would look so sad. She started to do that again, lowering her flaming tail, which seemed to die down in ferocity.

Beaux, as he always did, ran up to her and nudged her affectionately. Her tail lifted as did her mood, it seemed, as she bounced with him the next time his paws left the ground. "Mum, Mum! Come on, let's go!" He excitedly pushed her a little bit. "I'm old enough to go out with the others now! Will you come with me?"

His mother had always come with him on any ventures away from the dens, no matter how small or far the distance. Her presence was comforting, and he couldn't imagine being away from her. He felt far safer in her providence. He knew he was an odd site; he was teased about it from some of the other pups when nobody was looking. He knew he wasn't adapted well enough to their environment. He knew all of that, and he knew he probably shouldn't be still moving about with his mother trailing behind him.

Yet his mother, Smokehowl, never pointed it out. She only went along with it. She knew, but it wasn't to be spoken aloud.

Smokehowl nodded. "Yes," she said, "but I'd like for you to come along with me to somewhere… there is somebody I'd like you to meet." She nudged her 'puppy' along. Beaux just grinned happily.

"Let's go, let's go, let's go!" He cried as he ran in a circle.

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><p>"Alright, alright, everybody! Now, as me and my buddies have heard, you guys have had it rough since our leaving. The Giants over there-that'd be the tall guys in the back-sorry, guys and girls, sorry Ninjini and Scarlett!-told me all about this guy called Deu Sol. We were also told about Kaos' shenanigans. Gods above, do you know how annoying his mother was, Malmavis?" Freeze Blade grinned as he regarded the Skylanders that had pooled beneath the stage. The stage had been erected following the many changes that occurred at the Citadel. There was a designated study area, there was a specific training arena-many things had changed. Oh, how this place had changed… The Skylanders were looking solemn as he talked of the past. He hadn't been here for the past a hundred years. Maybe those words were a bit distasteful. He hoped they weren't too ignorant.<p>

"BUT"-he continued-"That's why we're back! Ain't nothin' else gonna happen to the Skylanders with the Elitists-er, Swap Force(?)-Warriors, Giants, AND Portal Masters on the case! Now, me and my... _associate_ have been practicing a song I thought several of the new trainees would like hearing. Hey, Grim Creeper, Star Strike, Bumble Blast, Mayflower, Storm, Lionheart, Godspeed, Silver, Moon, and all you other trainees!" Freeze Blade yelled excitedly into the microphone, skating across the stage. It was made of a mixture of wood, steel, and moltastel (in case a Fire Skylander felt the need to bust a move). His "associate" was Punk Shock and everybody knew that. She had become a Skylander just a few days before the Swap Force had returned. She was a great-a _wonderful_ singer-and he had a great male voice. They got along just fine where music was concerned. Of course, many others believed they "got along" in plenty of other areas as well.

The Skylanders below had erupted into cheers, their solemnity gone. Ben and Shiela—who had somehow convinced their mother to let them return for a few hours (eh, minutes in Earthen time)-were both clapping and grinning. He didn't know much about their history or their mother's, but from what he had heard, things on Earth had been quite rough on the family. Freeze Blade and Punk Shock had them to thank for their new song they wanted to sing. Originally from an Earth band by the name of Jump5, the song was _Welcome_. He thought it fit well enough. Plus, he wanted to show these new, fancy-shmancy Tenth Generationers that he still knew what it meant to be a Skylander.

He tapped the moltastel-glazed floor of the stage. "Punk Shock! You ready?" He called to the backstage. She gave a call back to him saying she was ready, and he glanced back at Kaz. The black-haired dragon was sitting next to the control panel that was wired to the enormous stereo set hidden around the Citadel. Set up as unassuming rocks that dappled the forest, or hidden inside of innocent bushes, there were speakers quite literally everywhere. It annoyed some of the older Skylanders (Whirlwind was getting up in the years, Tree Rex acted like an old man, and a few of the Swap Force felt as old as they knew they were). Anyways, Kaz had a smirk on his face as he flicked his tail around. Freeze Blade had an uneasy feeling creeping up his spine the dragon wasn't smiling without due reason. But he spoke in his amped-up voice anyway. "Kaz! Got my music?"

"You bet," he replied, still smirking. He clicked a button with one of his paws (he had a brown leather 'glove' over each paw that allowed only his claws to stick out now). The highly-synthesized music started playing immediately, and Freeze Blade put the microphone close to his face as Punk Shock burst forth from backstage.

"_(Welcome to our family time)..." _Freeze Blade murmured quietly and in-tune into his microphone. The song started with two background voices saying 'Welcome to our family time' and the male voice came first.

"_(Welcome to our family~)" _Punk Shock soon followed-up. Then...

"_There's nothin' complicated about the way we live,_" Freeze Blade sang into his microphone, grinning. Too bad Old Timer couldn't hold microphones. He couldn't help his smile at that thought.

"_We're all here for each other, happy to give_," Punk Shock sauntered over to him, waving her electrifying tail behind her. She was wearing different, more regal clothes. Her voice mimicked the singer _perfectly._

"_All we have we share_," Freeze Blade looked her in the eyes, just as they rehearsed. He tilted his head all cutely like he was supposed to and flicked his ears. It didn't help that it felt so wrong.

"_And all of us we care_," Punk Shock added to his statement in the song, beaming brightly like she was supposed to as well. Except he had a feeling she wasn't faking it as much as he was.

"_So come on!_" Freeze Blade exclaimed, jumping away from her and pumping a fist in the air. The next part, the chorus, they were supposed to sing together. He made a show of matching her step for step, and at the end, he would pick her up and slide her across the stage. She was the beauty of the show, he was the excitement, and that was what he had been told.

"_Welcome to our family time!_

_Welcome to our brotherly time!_

_This is the festival-_

_You know best of all,_

_We're here to share it all!"_ The chorus finished with both of them staring at each other again. He could feel resentment pooling deep within him, but it was somewhere far, far away. The song was sweet, and it was for the newcomers. That was the only reason they were singing it. Not because of any other reasons. No matter what Punk Shock said, this was only-

He sputtered a bit as he picked up again. He had unknowingly paused after the chorus and wanted to cuss himself. "_There's a bond between us nobody can explain_," he quickly sang, hoping they weren't too off-sync now with the music. _Stupid, _he growled inwardly.

"_It's a celebration of life… we see friends again,_" Punk Shock chimed, but looked at Freeze Blade. She looked concerned. He only jerked his head to face the crowd and followed up with his line.

"_I'll be there for you_," he put his paws over his chest as he skidded to the front of the stage. That wasn't _exaaactly_ how they had practiced, but, oh well.

"_I know you'll be there for me, too_," Punk Shock danced to the front of the stage alongside him, and while her body language facing the crowd suggested she was looking at him adoringly, she was actually looking at him with a scolding look. Like telepathy, they sent silent messages through their gazes.

"_What are you doing?" _Her stare seemed to demand.

"_None of your business," _he glared back at her.

"_So come on!_" Freeze Blade yelled again, doing the fist bump over again. He picked up Punk Shock as he was supposed to and twirled her, and placed her back down just in time for the chorus.

"_Welcome to our family time!_

_Welcome to our brotherly time!_

_This is the festival~_

_You know it best of all~_

_We're here to share it all!" _Punk Shock and Freeze Blade held paw-in-hand as they skipped and slid across the stage in twirls at the end of that. The Skylanders were meant to represent everything good and holy in Skylands. The song fit well, he just hoped their silent battle wasn't showing to the crowd and that the song still sounded well.

"_Remembering loved ones departed,_" Punk Shock looked solemnly at her feet. That, Freeze Blade knew, was probably one of the most necessary parts. "_What someone did to your heart_," she added feigning sadness as she rubbed her face with an arm. Freeze Blade skated over to her, pretending to comfort her. She suddenly perked and smiled at him with a broad grin.

"_Finding love, planning the future!" _She sang, bolting away from him playfully.

"_Telling stories and laughing with friends,_" Freeze Blade grinned as he mockingly laughed at her. "_Precious moments you'll never forget…!"_

"_This has to be... the most beautiful... the most peaceful place... I've ever been to.. it's nothin' like I've ever seen before…"_ Punk Shock abruptly walked to the front of the stage with a look of wonder, as if she had been put under some kind of spell. Freeze Blade slowly moved up beside her. They both turned to each other and then broke out into the chorus for one final time-with a bit of a twist, of course.

"_Welcome to our family time!_

_Welcome to our brotherly time!_

_We're happy giving and taking to the friends we're making, there's nothing we won't do!_

_Welcome to our family time!_

_Welcome to our happy-to-be time!_

_This is our festival~_

_You know it best of all-_

_We're here to share it all!"_ A pause followed, and then Punk Shock deviated from Freeze Blade and sauntered off the stage, smiling and holding up on hand as she moved.

"_Best of all… we're here to share it all!"_ She sang out again. The song's music ended a little too quickly, thanks to Freeze Blade's earlier pausing. Punk Shock turned to dart back onstage, smiling the whole time. Meanwhile, her eyes still conveyed messages at him. Oh, he knew she was angry at him for messing up the song, not that the crowd had seemed to notice. Cheers and excited calls echoed all around the Citadel. The ones he had named before starting the song were all in front of the stage (apparently having been pushed to the front, seeing as he knew for a fact Grim Creeper had been somewhere far in the back before), save for Lionheart, Godspeed, and Storm. The three griffins had disappeared.

Grim Creeper was a ghoul who was an exceptionally odd find. He had poor key reaping abilities, and he hated death despite his alignment with the elementals. On the other paw, he had also single-handedly taken care of a flood of ghosts into his school one he was turned away even after that, he was furious. Good thing the Skylanders had heard of his heroics and quickly asked him to join the Skylanders instead of… whatever he would have done after that.

Freeze Blade wasn't sure what he or Punk Shock had said in the song to make Lionheart, Storm, and Godspeed leave the pool of Skylanders in front of the stage. The three griffins were odd. Compared to their sister, they were also quite… timid most of the time. He didn't know why. Oh well. The cheers of the crowd slowly died away. Jade, Flashwing's emerald-crystal sister, shouldered her way to the forefront. She turned around to face the large group, Spyro nearby and Kaz now down beside her.

"As you know, the Skylanders Academy is being built. It won't be open for a while," Jade spoke loud and clearly. "But training will begin. Thank you, Freeze Blade and Punk Shock for that inspiring song." Jade nodded back towards the singers. Freeze Blade could hear that she hadn't cared for the song all that much or had found it inspiring, but a compliment was a compliment, he guessed.

Jade turned to face Mayflower, Grim Creeper, and the other new recruits. "Your training will begin right away. But with the Academy still not in use, it will take a bit longer than usual. Storm, Lionheart, Godspeed, Mayflower, Silver, Moon," she called the names of the Skylanders' children with stark clarity and dominance. Mayflower's missing brothers quickly reappeared. Storm stood straight, with his tail curled.

Jade looked them over. "As the new rules state," she murmured, "I cannot force you all to choose to be a Skylander. So, now, you must make that choice. Is this a life you want? Could you handle it? Or do you want to leave and make your own life?" Jade sat on her haunches, and curled her tail around herself. Kaz sat next to her, with Spyro and Cynder soon joining them. Freeze Blade skidded off the stage and landed nearby. He wanted to watch, and there was no need for him to be on stage anymore. He was in his usual get-up. Punk Shock disappeared backstage to change back to her regular clothes.

Spyro and Cynder were watching Jade and Kaz with an unusual amount of interest. Probably to make sure the duties were carried out correctly. But then, why had they, Jade and Kaz, been placed in charge of training new recruits anyway of Spyro and Cynder didn't trust them?

Mayflower was the first to answer. She jumped to all four paws and waved her tail excitedly, flaring her feathery wings. "Yes!" She exclaimed. She grinned at Jade, or as much as she could with a beak, and nodded. Spyro, Cynder, and Kaz nodded approvingly at her while Jade only turned her gaze to Storm.

Storm had grown, from what Freeze Blade had seen. He had muscle packed around his thighs and he had a broad chest. He stood tall, with a proud posture, despite his somber attitude. He calmly moved his tail to curl towards the ground, and kept his wings folded neatly at his sides. He shook his head. "No," he finally said, "I don't." He turned his head to meet someone's gaze in the crowd—Freeze Blade couldn't see who—and then Storm walked away. His tail brushed the ground as he padded away. Where to, Freeze Blade didn't know.

Jade only nodded after him. She turned to Lionheart next. He declined as well, looking ashamed under everyone's pressure. Godspeed also refused the position. The two brothers joined Storm, Freeze Blade surmised, with Mayflower looking after them with an astonished expression. Freeze Blade was glad nobody made any comments. Declining must have felt so... terrible for the young griffins. He couldn't blame them, though. Becoming a Skylander was not for the faint of heart. There was death, there was suspense, there were evils in this world nobody could imagine in their wildest nightmares. He thought of the Outlands, the one place in Skylands designated out of their jurisdiction (even that of the main Ancient Elementals), and home to the most horrible evils he had ever seen.

Yes, not even the Ancient Elementals could do anything about the crime that ran rampant in the Outlands. The Outlands was refuge for fugitives, and hell for those unfortunate enough to be born or raised there. He remembered a mission to stop wars from spreading into the Outlands. He and the other Elitists (as they had been known as at the time) had been driven into the Outlands. It drove a sickening sense of terror into your heart. Being a Skylander gave you a title that kept you safe in many places, but in the Outlands, it would get you killed in a heartbeat—and you had no power, none at all, to justify any actions you took.

Jade turned to Silver and Moon next. Both accepted earnestly. Silver practically paraded around her brother afterwards, excitedly talking about how great they would be. Freeze Blade could only smile. They would be, one day. After them, the rest followed. All fifteen other trainees were then inducted, each of them once again confirming they would become Skylanders. After that, Jade had the most seductive grin on her face as she walked around the new trainees. She eyed them hungrily, like they were hers to toy with. He was somewhat glad when Kaz and Blade both came up and began talking amongst the trainees.

Blade was an odyssey all by his lonesome. Freeze Blade had only been told a generic story where he was a dragon with exceptionally durable skin-made from consistently heated metal that molded as he moved-along with wings that had a similar membrane structure. The membranes were also consistently heated so that they could be folded very conveniently, but only to a certain extent. Unless they were being folded. they remained noticeably rumpled. He also had no defining male… organs, let's just say. He spoke in a masculine tone and the placing of his mechanical muscle tone and basic body shape implied he would have been male, however. Personality-wise, he was a huge goofball.

He personally sighed and turned to move away from the scene. He loved singing. Punk Shock had an amazing voice, and, give her an electric guitar and she'd light up the land, but he hated why she sang, and why she sang certain songs or why they had certain coordinated moves. He just didn't like how suggestive she was at times, how much she tried to make it appear they took keen interest in one another. He was an ice cat, and he had different... different interests than she did. Ones that did not concern female electric eel hybrids.

He was soon joined by Trap Shadow and Spy Rise. His friends were still by his side, even after all these years. Freeze Blade put on his signature grin and looked between them. "So, whatcha guys think of that show? Hey, Ninjacat, whatcha think?" Freeze Blade poked Trap Shadow's chest with a single digit.

Trap Shadow had a wonderful build. His muscles were concentrated heavily around his chest and thighs. He wore a decorative assortment of weapons and traps, with a bear trap swinging from one hand. His claws curved elegantly, and his clothing blended against his violet and cyan fur perfectly. He had a bandana over his muzzle, covering his jaws and teeth. His green-tinged eyes studied Freeze Blade questionably. "I enjoyed it," he began. "But you didn't seem to~" He purred. "Is Punk Shock getting on your nerves again?"

Spy Rise only shook his head at them. "You two are hopeless. If only she knew how little a chance she stood," he smiled to himself, rubbing his chin. Freeze Blade had long ago decided not to question how a robot could talk, act, and think like a sentient being. Spy Rise turned on his spider legs to look at Freeze Blade, his coy grin remaining on his metallic face. "Freeze Blade, Night Shift has been asking about you. Also, Magna Charge is going out on a mission soon. 'Mission'. Hmph, Flynn wants someone to go with him to the Eruption of Mount Cloudbreak Festival up there with the Cloudbreak kitsunes."

Freeze Blade stopped in his tracks. "That's soon?! Wait—aren't we all going?!" The Eruption of Mount Cloudbreak?! He HAD to see that! ...Hopefully, this time, keeping himself in one piece!

"Are you insane?" Spy Rise stopped and simply stared at him. "You want to go back to the place that blew us to smithereens, cascaded us into Earth, and split us in half. That's what you're telling me right now?"

"Well… when you put it like that…" Freeze Blade shuffled, yet continued to grin.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Beaux<strong>_

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><p>Out in the woods was fun! Beaux tailed Smokehowl attentively. The smells were all so inviting, and so strange. What did they all mean? He could smell many different and new smells today. Smokehowl apparently could as well... but she didn't seem to like them very much. She growled and kicked her paws at the new scents, and sometimes even set little pyramids of leaves on fire. She told him repeatedly that they were from dogs that shouldn't be around, but he didn't see why not. They had plenty of land! Why not share some?<p>

Smokehowl was walking ahead of him, whipping her flaming tail back and forth angrily. Beaux danced through the fallen leaves and debris, occasionally getting his crystalline, lengthy claws caught in sticks and twigs. His wings would brush against trees and he hated that, but he could live with it. After all, it didn't hurt anymore. He had calluses all over the spines of his wings from constantly rubbing against things. Except this time when his claws got hung in a vine, he stumbled and hit his chin on the forest floor. He whimpered from the throbbing in his chin, but Smokehowl did not stop to check on him.

She was staring at another dog. This one wasn't a Fire dog. He was taller than Smokehowl, with a longer body, and curled, feathery tail. He was sky-blue, with a long snout and thick chest. He had wings, just like Beaux! His weren't made of crystal, though. They were made of feathers, rows and rows and rows of long, beautiful feathers. His ears were tall and pointed, and he stood tall, every muscle taut and visible. He walked towards Smokehowl, with meaning in his steps. Smokehowl bared her teeth and reared away from him.

"Who are you?" She snarled at him, her tail blazing outward. Beaux pressed himself as low to the ground as he could, flattening his wings out. He watched with wide-eyed horror as his mother stared off the stranger. He had never seen a dog like this before... and was scared to see his mother so angry.

The stranger looked her over. "My name is Aeros," he said quickly, suddenly losing his confident posture. He shrunk low against the ground, flattening his ears against his skull. "And listen to me—the Fire dogs and the Air dogs have always had a pact together, okay? And right now, the Undead and Water dogs want the lands to themselves. I don't know what's happened," he paused, panting for breath, "I think a new evil is threatening Skylands. And whatever it is, it's upsetting balances. We have to run, we have to leave this island altogether."

Smokehowl snarled at him and backed up, coming alarmingly close to Beaux. "I don't know what you're talking about. And how would we leave, anyway?"

Suddenly, howls echoed through the woods. Beaux had heard his pack's howls many times. They were euphoric and bright, without the baritone. These howls... they were dark and breathy, with a baritone tint to them. He whined and propelled himself off the ground. He wrenched his paws free, and squealed when a shooting pain scoured his paw. He knew he had ripped a claw off without even looking. The panic-stricken Beaux turned and skittered away, throwing up decaying leaves and twigs in his wake.

He heard snarling and howls and barks split the air behind him as he ran. He almost ran headfirst into a tree when something clamped down on the extra scales that made up the nape of his neck. He squeaked and struck out with his long claws, scoring claw marks on a sky-blue creature with wings. It was the paw he had ripped a claw out from, and blood drained freely from the wound and with every swipe, Beaux painted more red stripes. He soon realized the creature carrying him was Aeros. Aeros had left the ground, beating his feathery wings against the sky, leaving the canopy and safety of the trees. Beaux watched with wide eyes and terror as his home decreased in size beneath them as they flew away. Beaux flung his wings outward in shock. He could feel his heart hammering against his chest.

Aeros bit down harder on his scruff in warning, and Beaux reached up with his paws this time to cling to the Air dog. He didn't want to be dropped into the grand expanse of cyan blue that now spanned beneath them. He didn't even understand why they were leaving. He began yelling questions into the wind as fast as he could. "Why are we leaving?! Where are we going?! Who _are _you?! Where's my mother?! _What did you do to her?!_"

Aeros shook him threateningly. Beaux wailed. "I didn't do anything to her! The Undead dogs did! And 'mother'? You're a dragon! Anyways, I'm taking you away, because that place is no longer safe. I didn't realize they were that close..." his voice became raw and choked. "I didn't think they were that close, or I'd have led her away. Your pack... is probably overrun with fighting dogs by now. If I can, I'll return you once it's all over—"

He cut off and howled in pain and agony. Searing heat reflected off Beaux's wings. Beaux screeched in a tone he had never heard another dog make before as Aeroes let go of him. Beaux glanced back at the Air dog and quickly wished he hadn't... because Aeros wasn't an Air dog anymore. He was a cloud of dust, engulfed in red flames. He wafted away, filling the air like smog. Beaux made no noise as he began to plummet. At least, not until he saw something coming after him in his descent. He closed his eyes and pulled his wings as close as he could. Opening them did nothing, the air slid around them. They were useless for flying, he had always known that. He could glide short distances, but fly he could not. He squinted his eyes shut hard. He just... just wanted this to be over.

And then it was. Someone wrapped their arms around him, and the descent stopped. A gentle, soothing warmth flowed through Beaux's body as he was now lifted upwards. Beaux dared to open his eyes, and looked up at his savior. He didn't feel very safe for long. His savior was a creature just like him... except he was humongous, and his scales were a dull burgundy. He looked frail and looked like he had labored breath as he struggled to move upwards with his paws embracing the puppy he was holding. His giant wings were tattered and laced with streaks of red against the golden membrane… his were not solid, but neither were they feathers. He had never een wings like that.

It seemed like an eternity before he was set onto solid ground. Beaux panicked again, immediately scurrying deep into the cave he had been dropped on. He darted over the ground until he reached a dead end, and curled against the wall. He took up more space than he wanted to due to his non-folding wings.

"You are safe here. Nobody can harm you," a raspy voice said. Beaux turned to look at where the sound had come from and found his savior looking him over. The creature that was so much like him lay on the ground of the cave, his massive wings now furled neatly against his sides. He still looked old and damaged. He had three horns on his snout, or at least, had had three at one point. They were chipped badly and one was nearly completely missing. He was a dull, crimson red with golden wing membranes and horns. His spines were also a shade of yellow.

"Who are you? What do you want from me? What's happened? What are you? What am I?" Beaux let the siege of questions flow forth as he trembled against the cave wall. Too much had happened in such a short span of time.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Silver<strong>_

* * *

><p>"Wha-hoo!" Silver laughed, ducking under her brother's wing. She smirked and used her tail to push his wing upwards. He twirled involuntarily and glared at her playfully once he managed to straighten himself out again. The wind was beating against them both, pressing them back, and she loved it. She loved to think she was flying against the wind and everything it stood for. She was her own, and that was how she liked it. The sky was vast and beautiful. Flynn had told them that the Eruption of Mount Cloudbreak would be very soon, and with their training for being Skylanders soon to be underway, Silver couldn't be happier.<p>

Moon flattened his wings to his sides and pierced the air like a bullet, moving his tail around to keep his balance. Silver fluttered around him, creating a brilliant aerial display they had practiced countless times before. Moon opened his wings again once Silver was situated beneath him, and they both flew together in a circle around the Citadel.

"We had better land before Mum and Dad have a heart attack! That and Jade wants us to come see her today!" Moon yelled to her. His round, violet eyes looked clear despite the wind whipping against him.

Silver snorted back at him. "Why? Our official training doesn't start until tomorrow, and I think only Dad would be the one having a heart attack!" She laughed back at him. But she angled her wings downwards anyway. Life was on the up and up!

* * *

><p><em><strong>Drobot<strong>_

* * *

><p>Drobot pressed the buttons as a radio feed began to play through his headgear. The voice was Flynn's, and he needed to hear it. Flynn was on the priority list. Within his helmet, there was a portion dedicated to the Skylanders' Help Hotline. Inside of the receptor, certain radio calls were put on higher priority than others-such as those from Flynn, Cali, Persephone, Hugo, Eon, or anyone else who was known as a helper to the Skylanders.<p>

His new workshop at the Citadel was large and fortified, and well-organized. There were no stray tools and chargers lying around. Everything had a place, and it didn't take nearly as long to build things in there as it did on his island of tools and items. He would still visit that island, of course, to get supplies from there. He had kept the idea of building a tarp to place over the rusting and old pieces and had done just that. He fiddled with the controls on the side of his helmet, before turning on Flynn's call. Flynn sounded rather frantic.

"A crazy kitsune lady just jumped onto my ship and we were chased into the Volcano! AND I LOST MY SPECIAL VOLCANO ERUPTION HAT!" Flynn wailed in his overdramatic voice. Drobot hadn't had any frantic or major calls such as this in a long time, and it took him several seconds to respond.

"Flynn, where are you and what is happening?"

"I'm inside the Cloudbreak Volcano!"

Another, female voice broke into the communicator. "Greebles are everywhere and there's trouble!"

"Send help!" Flynn stated the obvious.

Drobot stuttered slightly. "Help i-is on the way! Right away!" Drobot cut the call and turned away from the control panel that dominated the main part of his right wall. He skittered across the wooden floor, failing to catch much friction with his claws. He managed to get outside the door and looked around. Many new buildings had been erected and many things had been replaced or restored. The stage where Freeze Blade and Punk Shock often stood was proudly placed in a cozy corner of the Citadel. Whirlwind had her own clinic, shrouded in herbal trees and plants. Sonic Boom took care of most young children when their parents could not, and so, her stone den had been refurbished and made much more comfortable for littler ones.

Sundrake had been given a large den of his own. He was highly revered, whatever his past consisted of. Cynder and Spyro had their own place in the new mansion that had been built. Eon's Mansion had been destroyed when Kaos brought the Hydragon to destroy the Core of Light, However, a huge effort was undertaken to rebuild and restore the ancient house. It had a room for every Skylander and could be added upon to create rooms for new recruits. There were generally no more than twenty Skylanders in an element at a time, so there were about twenty rooms per element. The Giants, of course, had their own entire section that was specially made for their height and comfort.

Drobot rarely stayed in his. His workshop was every bit as comfortable. But he had no time to think of that. With all of this, he didn't know exactly where Spyro was. He glanced around and was extremely grateful that the purple dragon was standing at the edge of the island, watching two creatures fly around. Drobot easily identified Spyro's two little terrors, Silver and Moon, zipping through the air. He would have chuckled had there been time. He ran across the ground, his claws digging into the grass and giving him traction with every stride.

"Spyro! Flynn requires assistance. The Portal is set up now on Eon's balcony," Drobot gave a small, respectful bow to their rightful leader. He smiled under his helmet. It wasn't necessary, to give the bow, but he felt like it was lately. He wanted no misunderstandings between Sundrake and Spyro, and Jade was certainly not to be confused as any kind of leader anymore.

Spyro turned to face him. His large, spectacular horns were more adjusted and no longer hurt his neck. He had grown slightly bulkier as he got accustomed to the new rack upon his head, and he didn't stress at all about Drobot's news. "All right," he murmured, "send Stealth Elf, Freeze Blade, and Night Shift," Spyro tilted his head in thought. "Stealth Elf can do any sneaking around if need be, Freeze Blade can be used for defense, and then Night Shift can teleport around. May I ask what is happening to suggest anyone else?" Spyro spoke evenly and pleasantly.

"He is actually at Mount Cloudbreak...and I think is inside it."

Spyro began to look a little distressed at that. "Oh, goodness gracious. Send Fire Kraken and Flameslinger as well."

Drobot nodded. "Will do."

Cynder, from beside Spyro, nudged him affectionately. "I'll go find some of them, Drobot, and send them to the Portal to wait." She raced off in the other direction, while Drobot went to work looking for some of the ones he had been told to find. Freeze Blade was never hard to find; the ice cat was always in the middle of something, usually something meddlesome as well. And wherever Freeze Blade was, Night Shift was surely not far behind. Night Shift and Freeze Blade had a strange, apprenticeship-type bond. Today, after Freeze Blade's singing earlier that morning, were playing a card game… except they seemed busier arguing at one another in a playful, bantering way than actually playing the game. Drobot quickly got their attention and sent them in the direction of the Portal.

Flameslinger and Stealth were of course together as well. Stealth Elf was adorned in her new black-clad outfit the king and queen of the Elven Kingdom had hand-delivered just for her. They had done an official ceremony and everything, claiming that as an elf, whether she was a Skylander or not, she was still one of their kind and would be treated with the utmost respect. Flameslinger and the other elves received acknowledgements, but only Stealth was given her gift of a black outfit.

Drobot joined them at the Portal. "Rescue Flynn, and make sure he makes it out of there alive and well," Drobot ordered them.

"You know we will," Night Shift told him, nodding and pressing his gloves together.

* * *

><p><em><strong>HAPPY NEW YEAR'S FROM THE EAST COAST IN THE US, EVERYONE! <strong>_**This was actually meant to be posted on New Year's Day, but because of... issues, I haven't been able to. Lately, I've been forgetting things beyond the normal rate. I've put it down to insomnia, but getting enough sleep has only seemed to help slightly. I'll continue with that before seeking anything else. But with that said, that means I may have easily made silly mistakes in this story, so if you do spot anything-please, please review and tell me so I can fix it! Don't get alarmed if I respond to you asking you to elaborate. I've never been a super bright one to begin with, haha.**

**Introducing, Skylanders: Darkest Hour: Swap Force. The song is "Welcome" by the band Jump5 (though Phil Collins and some others have versions of it, too). I thought it was thoroughly fitting, and I'll just leave you all to fit together the pieces of the puzzles solved up here and the new ones. Along with the new story, we have new people-Maverick, Visage, No. 1…. Oops. Suppose I haven't put No. 1 in there yet.**

**94, over and out!**


	2. Visage

_**Visage**_

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><p><em><strong>Kaz<strong>_

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><p>Kaz watched as the rescue team ran to aid their ailing comrades. He still referred to most Skylanders as 'they,' for he was not one of them, nor would he ever have the chance to be. Jade had self-proclaimed herself to no longer be a Skylander as well, though Grandmaster Eon still called her one and had even blatantly told her she was one whether she wanted to be or not. Eon could see right through the cold exterior she had acquired. Kaz could as well, but only if he squinted. Most days he carried the heavy feeling in his heart knowing Jade had left a fully-capable egg resting in broad daylight on an unknown island full of predatory creatures, and that she didn't feel even show the slightest remorse. Despite this, he and Jade had grown past that and had decided a very simple course of action: simply forgetting the past.<p>

Yet, that hadn't been what plagued Kaz's mind lately. Aside from earning a healthy disrespect from several Skylanders who hadn't even attempted to forget what he had done in the past, he was still haunted by images of Roasol (or Deu Sol), and felt he knew who this second 'Hydragon' was. He also got slight and quick images of new and different enemies. He felt a tug at his paws. A tug he didn't understand.

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><p><em><strong>Camo<strong>_

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><p>Camo's anger and irritation with his biological father faltered over time, but he seemed unable to grow very close to the older dragon. Oftentimes Sundrake would just lay in his den all day long, only coming out for important ceremonies, meetings, or talking to Spyro. Camo didn't outright hate his father any longer; he was still quite bitter over his father's alibi, nonetheless, but with that said, he couldn't say he hated the dragon.<p>

He was lounging by the water and awaiting Sunburn's arrival when the rock he was lying on began to feel unbearably hot. Thinking Sunburn had arrived and was playing some dumb trick on him, the plant dragon leapt to his feet and whipped around. When he did, however, he was met with none other than the phoenix hybrid. Sunburn laughed and grinned. "Miss me?" He said, sounding slightly different somehow. Camo shrugged it off and pretended to be aggravated by the hybrid's antics.

"That was really hot," Camo pouted.

"Oh it was?" Sunburn raised a feathery brow. Camo glared back at him with his scarlet eyes.

"Oh, no you don't start with that," Camo hissed, flicking his tail irritably.

"Start what, Camo?" Sunburn approached Camo and sat at his side, slightly too close for comfort, and then licked his shoulder. Camo, while certainly not unhappy with the affection, felt it was far too sudden and uncalled for. Plus, the look in Sunburn's eyes bothered him… until he realized it wasn't Sunburn staring at him. He growled and lashed claws at the other's face, clawing an eye. A screech was brought forth, and the creature posing as Sunburn changed shape. He became sleeker, darker, with glowing, white eyes and a triangular head. His wings-slash-front legs were tattered and looked as though he shouldn't have been able to fly. Red speckles coated his back legs' forepaws, as well as his leathery wings, giving him the appearance to be splattered in blood. Camo saw and understood he was staring at a wyvern, or at least a creature related to a wyvern.

Camo froze and then shouted, diving forward at the new creature. He sank his claws into its shoulders as he pressed it to the ground. It laughed maniacally as Camo snarled, baring every tooth in his mouth. "What have you done to Sunburn?" He demanded loudly enough for the entire Citadel to hear him.

The wyvern began to change and morph; his leathery scales turned green and into soft yet protective leaves. He shoved Camo off of him with ease, and Camo watched in horror as the wyvern changed easily into an exact replica of Camo, save for his swollen and slashed eye. He grinned at Camo and sat smugly on his haunches-Camo's haunches-and curled his leafy tail around him. Through Camo's same voice, he began talking. "Understand yet? I don't do anything to my victims except keep them quiet. Which is what I'll do to you. My name is Visage. You will remember none of this…" And with that, Visage morphed into something else.

He turned black, with silver wing membranes and obsidian horns. Black, feathery hair appeared on his head. He assumed Kaz's body style and then approached Camo again, staring into his eyes and raising a paw to block any attacks Camo might try. Yet, Visage was safe, for Camo was far too speechless to bring forward any harm. He easily pressed a paw to Camo's forehead.

Several minutes later, Camo was laying back on the rock at the beach, completely unaware of what had just occurred. Sunburn showed up several minutes later, playfully rolling Camo into the water as always, and the two began a splashing battle…. which Camo, of course, always won.

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><p><em><strong>Flynn<strong>_

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><p>Flynn grinned as he folded the scroll back up, having exclaimed his monologue about the Mount Cloudbreak eruption to Hugo. He turned back to the hub of his ship and listened as Hugo spoke.<p>

"I know, Flynn! You are about to witness _firsthand_ something that hasn't been seen in a hundred years!" Hugo sounded almost as excited as Flynn, clapping excitedly and waving his book around wildly on the small monitor in the helm of the ship. Flynn's helm was chock-full of rather non-complex equipment and tools to run the ship. The monitor hanging from the ceiling allowed him to speak with Hugo, Cali, and the rest of his friends at the Citadel while on his journey.

"I even bought this nifty Volcano Hat!" Flynn cried, donning a hat made of mostly straw with a volcano formed on the top. It had been carefully articulated and Flynn already loved it! He proudly flaunted it towards Hugo, assuming his usual 'boom' pose as he did. His toothy grin only grew as Cali shoved Hugo out of the way on the monitor, causing her to be its main focus.

"Move over!" Cali instructed Hugo, despite quickly shoving him anyway.

"Well, _hello,_ Cali," Flynn's grin, if possible, grew even wider. "Miss me already?"

"Actually… I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I-"

"Oh no! My hat! Sorry, gotta go!" Flynn shouted as he clicked the monitor off. His hat had been blown off his head by a sudden gust of wind, and flattened against his windshield. He cursed inwardly at the open window to his right as the hat slipped out and free into the wind. He opened the door the window was on, and chased the hat across his ship until he reached a guarding rail. He watched, mournfully, as the hat flowed into the vast blueness of Skylands.

"Adios, awesome Volcano Hat," Flynn mumbled halfheartedly. Pausing for a minute to contemplate the loss of his hat, he heard a whooshing and cawing noise over his head. Alarmed, Flynn looked up and saw gray, brooding clouds overhead. "Huh? What was that?" When he had reassured himself no monster was flying overhead. "I must be hearing things. For a second there, I thought… Wha-wait a minute!"

Just millimeters away from Flynn's face, an enormous bird stood. Its feathered shone a brilliant orange and radiated a stellar golden, with straps loosely dangling around its face and body. It reminded Flynn greatly of the warbirds commonly ridden by Cloudbreak kitsunes. It stretched its beak open wide, and squawked at him mightily, giving him a terrifyingly close look at its throat and tongue. The sound grated his ears until the bird clamped its mouth shut when a feminine voice began talking. A worried, feminine, and feline face peered at him from over the bird's richly golden head.

Emerald green eyes stared at him. "You're a Skylander?" She asked in a quick, panicky tone.

"Well-not exactly," Flynn answered assuredly despite still staring at the blue-eyed, golden-feathered bird carefully. He quickly found his way to staring at the kitsune's eyes, enveloped in the green iris. He then grinned as he continued speaking, and the kitsune leapt from the bird's back. "But I know them."

An explosion sounded nearby. A flash of bright, green light washed over Flynn's ship. He and the kitsune raised their arms protectively in front of their faces. Once it was over, the female kitsune flattened her feline ears and exclaimed in a skittishly excited whisper, "Oh no! They found us!" She looked around with her ears still flattened, and her eyes stretched wide.

Flynn couldn't help but to stare. Natural auburn hair flowed freely from the top of her head, and the rest of her body was covered in an even coat of clouded leopard-like fur, with a pale but enchanting shade of tan and darker splotches of brown. Her hair was tied in the center, giving it a ponytail that stretched straight into the air and parted around her ears. Her ears were large, and matched with her equally large eyes, all which caused to make her appear even cuter. She wore nothing but leafy garments, kept together only by leather (more likely made from animal hide) straps that wrapped from her right shoulder to around her left leg, and looped around. Her shoes were similar, looking like sandals with leafy straps and leather bottoms.

Flynn was wrenched out of his stare by her pointing to quickly-approaching ships. He shrugged at the sight of them, glancing back at her, still in a half-stupor and still completely not understanding the situation at hand. The kitsune darted over to him and grasped his arm, shaking it slightly. "Listen," she began, absolutely urgent, "my home is in danger. If you really know the Skylanders, then you've got to help me!" She let go of him, and glanced back out to the sky, the ships approaching still. They were ominously close.

But Flynn, not one to be daunted by danger whatsoever, only dusted himself off and continued watching the kitsune. "I was supposed to be on vacation," he murmured dejectedly, "but then again, I also never say 'no' to danger, so…" Flynn made a slow, shimmying movement, as if weighing the two possibilities he had of continuing his vacation or helping the kitsune. He would, of course, choose to help her, but keeping her in suspense was something only the notorious Flynn could pull off. His lips pulled at a hidden smirk.

Something crashed or exploded a portion of the ship. Flynn staggered backwards and clutched a part of the captain's helm, clinging to it and watching the gray, overcast skies. "Okay, danger awaits! Which way are we goin'!?"

The kitsune froze and stared at the overcast sky as well, staring in dread at the circling ships. She suddenly looked back over at Flynn. "Into the volcano!" She pointed at the volcano, which Flynn's ship had been inching closer to ever since he had been forced to leave the captain's helm, chasing after his hat. "We can lose them in there!" The kitsune explained, regaining her composure, standing at full height, and looking confident.

Flynn followed her finger and just stared at the volcano. "Gonna be honest… not what I was thinkin'," Flynn said, sounding less than thrilled. He certainly felt less than thrilled as he watched, in woefully hidden fear, the volcano which was so dangerously close to erupting.

"It's alright! I know a way! Trust me," the kitsune pleaded, looking desperate.

"Well, alrighty then, but you better hold on!" Flynn cried, the need in her eyes all too much for him. He turned to the captain's helm and bolted inside, checking the bars and meters (despite not even knowing what half of them were meant to do), and gripped the steering wheel briskly. "Watch out, fox-girl, I'm about to break out some serious AWESOME! _BOOM!_" Flynn dramatically spun the wheel, reeling the ship about and turning it directly to the volcano.

In an inexplicable moment of terrified excitement and awe, the air and landscape around them was orange and painted red with lava that coated the sides of the volcano. It illuminated the ship and caught them all off guard, sending shivers down the spines of those aboard Flynn's ship. The heat was felt by each of them, and the blinding light was reflected off their eyes. The kitsune's were stretched wide, her emerald eyes looking ruby in the brightness, and Flynn's were nearly squinted shut. As the ship reeled inside the volcano at a downward angle, they felt a slight moment of anti-gravity, and for a few, precious seconds, Flynn felt free and excited all at once, with the kitsune standing at his side and her bird on the deck behind him.

Then Flynn strongly pulled the wheel backwards, forcing the ship to maneuver upwards and causing gravity to painfully pull them downward. The kitsune screamed a panicky, "Watch out!" Flynn cried out in shock and suddenly-realized fear as his ship struck lava and bounced wildly. "I don't really know where I'm going!" Flynn exclaimed in a momentary lapse of megalomania of his piloting skills.

In his panic, he snatched up his communicator and screamed into it, hoping Drobot received the call, "A crazy kitsune lady just jumped onto my ship and we were chased into a volcano! AND I LOST MY SPECIAL VOLCANO ERUPTION HAT!" Flynn wailed

dramatically. The kitsune eyed him questioningly for a moment, and Flynn grasped the wheel again, while bending his head to keep the communicator active.

"Flynn, where are you and what is happening?" Drobot finally responded.

"I'm inside Cloudbreak Volcano!"

The kitsune broke into the call, shouting into Flynn's ear as well as the communicator. "Greebles are everywhere and there's trouble!"

"Send help!" Flynn exclaimed before he was forced to drop the communicator to move around a spire that stood proudly in the center of the volcano, boasting a sharp, chiseled tip and rushing lava swirling around the base. He skimmed the spire, and the force of the collision sent rubble flowing into the captain's helm. Sharp bits of rock sliced the cords of Flynn's communicator and trashed other things lying around his helm.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Stealth Elf<strong>_

* * *

><p>Stealth Elf sucked in a deep breath at suddenly being flung into the unbearably hot volcano, and it didn't help she was fully dressed in her black, ninja attire. She panted at the heat and whipped out her golden daggers, leaping at a purple-skinned greeble as it approached her. With the repaired and fully-functioning portal, getting around was much easier, and with no more major threats such as Deu Sol around, using a portal wasn't considered dangerous anymore. She ignored the incessant beeping of the device lodged in the shoulder of her clothing and lunged viciously at the opposition, slashing mercilessly and ignoring the blood that spattered across her clothes. They were black and would hide the scarlet spots anyway.<p>

Her partner, Flameslinger, was thriving in the heat. He easily stood atop the assortment of boxes and decks, firing away at the enemies as they appeared. Inside of the volcano, he looked rejuvenated, _younger. _Stealth Elf made sure her attention didn't lapse because of him, though; when a purple-skinned, short-statured greeble came marching after her with a club raised high above its head, she narrowed her eyes and flicked a blood-slicked dagger across its throat. It fell to the ground and was whipped away as the ship collided with another rocky spire.

"Does he have any idea how to fly this thing?!" Freeze Blade exclaimed. The ice cat was panting and looked exhausted and hot, his fur wet and plastered to his skin instead of iced and fluffed. The icy tufts atop his head and among other places looked wet and melted, and Stealth Elf honestly wondered why he was even here. Perhaps it was an oversight in Spyro and Cynder's panic to get someone there to help Flynn, but if that were the case, it was a large oversight.

As Freeze Blade faltered, Night Shift was quick to teleport to his teammate's defense. Side-by-side, the two Swap Force members (or Elitists as they still called themselves, mostly) worked with one another. Stride-for-stride, no greeble or chompy could penetrate their defense.

Then again, this was considerably child's play. The only real danger that emerged from this mission was the fact that they were in a volcano, and Flynn's less-than-perfect piloting skills were being exploited as he crashed into almost every spire that came into view. Flameslinger was nearly launched off the side of the ship once, and Fire Kraken barely managed to cling on as the box he was standing on was covered in a tarp that was unexpectedly wrenched from beneath his feet by one of the many spires Flynn managed to hit.

Eventually, the ship exploded from the volcano. Stealth Elf and Night Shift both shouted in unison at the others to hold on, as the force of the expulsion from the volcano was enough to pull many things free of the ship's hold. The Skylanders clung on desperately, gritting their teeth against the pain of gravity seemingly trying to pull their brains through their feet.

Stealth Elf lay in a heap as the ship came skidding to a halt. In the distance, she heard a groaning Flynn mumble into a microphone, "This is your captain speaking, and we're, uh… here now…"

Stealth Elf groaned and gripped at her head as she felt someone brush against her. "I'm taking you, Flameslinger, and Fire Kraken back to the Citadel," Night Shift's voice came through, "and leaving Freeze Blade here. He can maneuver through the rest and discover what is happening with the Cloudbreak kitsunes."

Stealth, feeling nauseous and a vicious headache tear at her skull, could only hesitantly nod in response.

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><p><em><strong>Visage<strong>_

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><p>Fooling the Skylanders was not his primary goal. Indeed, Visage couldn't care less if the Skylanders knew of his existence or not, as it wouldn't make a difference either way. With his shape-shifting capabilities, it would only make them paranoid and wary. Not only could he replicate the appearance of anyone he met, he could perfectly mock their voice, and gain a slight control of their powers as well. Kaz's ability to wipe a short-term memory had become exceedingly useful, and he planned on keeping it.<p>

Visage often watched the Skylanders from afar, in the shape of a measly bird or other animal, and saw how they raised their warriors. He watched them joke, he watched them relax, he watched them have fun… and once, he saw them throw a party. How he had wished he had avoided that. The point was, Visage could see the Skylanders were like most other living creatures with an occupation, core values, and, of course, 'leaders.' Of course, these leaders weren't as revered as 'leaders' like Spyro, Tree Rex, Wash Buckler, and Grandmaster Eon were.

Spyro, while calm, collected, and usually willing to listen to anyone, was still revered as a leader, and to many, _the _leader. A lot of the older Skylanders did consist of more animalistic creatures, save for the elves and other humanoids. Generally, he was the first one to be approached when a problem was found. He had a mate by the name of Cynder (who Visage remembered all too well) and two precious offspring, Silver and Moon. Visage grinned to himself. He had given in quickly when He invaded the Dragon Realms. They had been invaded once before by Malefor and his slave, Cynder. That was where Visage knew her from, and that was what Visage wanted to get her back for.

The Dragon Realms had suffered because of her. They were suffering now, but Visage could be considered a vengeful creature; he wanted to get back at Cynder. He found that joining up with Him was a quick and easy way to do so. It was a long and dreadful way to the top of the list of dragons who wanted to work with Him, but Visage was brutal, and he had a power most other dragons would have killed for. He could shape-shift.

His ability was that of a natural-borne wyvern. Since there were so few of those left, Visage had never met another one in his entire life, and had been alone since birth. He would never ruin his pureblood gene by coinciding with a dragon, and he easily put the dragons to shame. While there were many tough and frightening opponents among the dragons that wished to work for Him, Visage put them to shame.

Now, he continued to watch from a distance as Camo and Sunburn played on the beach. He bared his teeth after them. Immoral disgraces, they both were. Why Camo had been so quick to realize he wasn't Sunburn, he didn't understand. Wasn't that all they did, anyway? He had seen the two romping in the late hours of night and he knew they desired to keep it a secret. But why keep something secret if it isn't wrong? Visage snorted. _Because it is wrong,_ he thought with a sneer.

He would have to relay to Maverick that he had what he had watched the Skylanders so long for; he had every one of their form's stored in his memory. He could switch to any one of them, and with that, they could easily fool or even trick Kaos entirely. Fooling certain members of the Skylanders wouldn't be hard either. Spyro, from what he had been told, had become extremely paranoid and almost apathetic during Roasol's run. He grinned. If he could play on that dragon's paranoia and make him like that again, but even worse, and then dissecting the Skylanders like an innocent frog would be quick and easy.

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><p><strong>Not an enormous chapter, but here's the next one. Visage is an original character of mine, with No. 1 belonging to Life Strong, as well as a few other characters I will mention later. As well, Eve (who I may bring in from Snow Quest) belongs to the user XandyPants. The name idea for Stealth Elf's true name being Seraphina, as stated in Dragon King, came from Seraph of Enigma.<strong>

**This was supposed to go up yesterday, but then FanFiction crashed and was all lolno. But I do have a new "schedule" of sorts for my stories, and you can see a rough estimate of what is supposed to go up when through a spreadsheet. If you want access to the spreadsheet, you will want to go to my Facebook (Star Johnson (which is not my true Facebook, so don't worry about that) - look for a picture of Spiderman as the profile picture and cover :P) and click the link as posted there. Or, I could send it to you all chopped up through PM. Whichever way you want. **

**Certain stories may have priority over others, and please remember that proposed ****Invader Zim** **oneshot collection **_**GIR's Memory Files **_**and ****Skylanders** **oneshot collection **_**Heroes & Chompies **_**will be updated at random. So those should be checked often if you enjoy those. **

**The chapters for this will eventually be long like Dragon King's, and they won't all be short with little development like these ones. These are mostly introductory to introduce newer characters like Visage and show how older relationships are getting along now. As well, I wanted to give a general taste of how this will flow for people who are still on the fence about following this all the way through. Do note that Dragon King took over a year from start to finish, and this story will likely be the same, if not, longer, with schoolwork being as troublesome as it is.**

**Anyway, 94, over and out!**


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